Article published June 12, 2008
Bentley's career with Browns over
Cleveland made upgrades in his absence
Browns coach Romeo Crennel walks the field during the stretching portion of yesterday's minicamp in Berea, Ohio.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND - LeCharles Bentley's career with his hometown Browns amounted to nothing more than a couple incomplete practice sessions.
The center asked for and received his release from the Cleveland Browns yesterday, nearly two years after he suffered a major knee injury at the start of his first training camp with the team.
Bentley wants to resume his career somewhere he'll have the opportunity to play, said his agent, Jonathan Feinsod.
The Plain Dealer first reported Bentley's release on its Web site.
"At this point in LeCharles' career, he is not ready to be just an insurance policy," Feinsod said. "To come back from what basically amounts to a near-death experience and now be healthy again is an inspiration to anybody. He's ready to continue his Pro Bowl and hopefully Hall of Fame career."
Browns general manager Phil Savage wished Bentley well."This is a chapter that finally comes to an end," Savage said. "We've got some closure to it and we can go our separate ways in a positive manner."
Bentley practiced with the Browns on Tuesday for the first time since he underwent knee injury and survived a life-threatening infection.
The 28-year-old passed a physical and a running test Monday and was cleared to practice with the team during their three-day minicamp this week. He predicted Tuesday that he would be starting in 2008, whether for the Browns or another NFL team.
"When he came to the Browns two years ago, their situation was entirely different and they didn't know if and when he was going to recover from this injury," Feinsod said. "They had to do certain things to help their team, which they did."
The Browns improved their
offensive line in Bentley's
absence and that helped them transform an inept offense into one of the league's best.
"We feel like the landscape of our team has changed from July, 2006, to where we are in June, 2008," Savage said.
Feinsod characterized the parting as amicable: "This is no fault of the Cleveland Browns."
He declined to comment on whether other teams were interested in Bentley.
Bentley, a two-time Pro Bowl center with New Orleans, signed a six-year, $36 million free-agent contract in March, 2006, with the Browns.
"It was a unique circumstance, in terms of him being a local icon, playing at St. Ignatius, Ohio State," said Savage, referring to Bentley's high school and college teams. "It was going to be the trifecta in playing for the Browns. It just didn't work out."
Bentley's dream of playing for his hometown team ended quickly when he tore his left patellar tendon on the first full-contact play of training camp in July, 2006.
Following surgery to repair the tendon, he developed a staph infection and needed three more operations. His contract with Cleveland was later shortened to one year.
"I'm still a fan, I'm still a Cleveland guy, and I'm glad to see the Browns do well," Bentley said.
SAINTS/SMITH: New Orleans defensive end Will Smith has signed a contract extension that will make him one of the NFL's highest-paid defensive players.
Smith signed a six-year deal worth about $70 million, according to a person familiar with the deal who requested anonymity because the terms had not been made public.
The deal makes Smith the NFL's third-highest paid defensive end.
GIANTS/BURRESS: New York wide receiver Plaxico Burress is refusing to practice because the Super Bowl champions haven't renegotiated his contract. Burress reported to Giants Stadium for a mandatory minicamp, but said he told the coaching staff he won't workout without a new deal.
RAVENS/OGDEN: Jonathan Ogden is expected to announce his retirement today and end his stellar career with Baltimore. The left offensive tackle earned 11 Pro Bowl invitations and a Super Bowl ring.
Ogden will turn 34 next month and told friends he won't return for a 13th season.
RAIDERS/RAUCH: John Rauch, the former Georgia quarterback who coached the Oakland Raiders to a berth in the second Super Bowl, died Tuesday at his home in Oldsmar, Fla. He was 80.
Rauch's wife, Jane, said Rauch died in his sleep, possibly due to a heart problem.
Rauch was 33-8-1 in three season as the Raiders coach from 1966-68. He also served as coach of the Buffalo Bills for two years and was an assistant coach with Philadelphia and Atlanta.
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